Preparation method

Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil and Chinese rice wine or sherry in a bowl. Add the strips of beef and toss until well mixed. Leave to marinate until needed.

Heat the stock in a large pan or flame-proof casserole. Add the spring onions, sliced mushrooms and halved pak choi, and simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the nests of noodles to the pan of vegetables and cook for 2-4 minutes or until tender.

While the noodles are cooking, heat a wok or frying pan with the oil and stir-fry the beef for 2 minutes or until browned. Tip the contents of the pan into the simmering stock. Bring back to the boil. Taste and season with black pepper, then ladle into four serving bowls and serve.

Copyright

Copyright by The Readers Digest Association, Inc. 2008

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For beef, use chicken breast fillets. Replace the stock with chicken stock.

Shopping tip

Dried shiitake mushrooms are useful to keep in the storecupboard, but you will need time to soak them before they can be added to a recipe. Soak in water for about 3 minutes, then rinse to remove any grit. Soak in warm water for a further 30 minutes to soften. Cut off the stalks and discard, then continue as for fresh shiitake. (The soaking liquid can be strained and added to the stock.)

Ingredients

75g butter

5 tablespoons plain flour

1L skimmed milk

6 large baking potatoes, scrubbed

250ml soured cream

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation method

Microwave potatoes until done.

While potatoes are cooking make a roux over low to medium heat. Mix butter and flour. DO NOT BURN THE ROUX. When roux is thickened a bit, gradually blend in milk. Continue cooking over low to medium heat while preparing potatoes.

Peel and cut up potatoes. You may want to mash some of the potatoes also. Add potatoes to the milk mixture. Blend in soured cream. Season to taste. Soup is ready to be served.

More ideas...

You can top this easy potato soup with chopped spring onions, chopped fresh herbs like chives or parsley, chopped bacon or pancetta, crumbled Stilton - the possibilities are endless! Of course, it's perfect on its own!

It is such a treat to go into Starbucks and enjoy a coffee and something sweet. It is one of my life’s little pleasures. Freshly baked banana bread is hard to beat. Banana walnut bread isn’t difficult to make, in fact you can make banana walnut bread that will taste just like Starbucks. I recommend using bread flour if you have it on hand, as it gives the bread a more dense feel. Why not try making some this banana walnut bread, and bring it to your co-workers. Unlike in the store, you can enjoy this banana walnut bread while it is still warm out of the oven.

1 3/4 C. flour (bread flour is best)

2/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. mashed ripe (this is usually 2 or 3 bananas)

1/3 C. margarine

2 Tbsp. milk

2 eggs

1 cup chopped walnuts (divided into 2 (1/2 C.) portions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium size bowl combine all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt), stir together to combine. In another medium size bowl combine margarine and sugar, with a mixer cream the margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in mashed bananas and eggs, and mix well. Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mix until the flour is just mixed in, then add in the remaining flour and 1/2 cup walnuts, blend together until everything is mixed together. Do not overstir.

Pour batter into a greased 8×4 inch loaf pan. Then top the batter with the remaining chopped walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

While Starbucks does not make their banana bread with butter, I think this comes out more rich this way. I also like to add in a sprinkle or two of cinnamon and sugar into this, again, not in their recipe, it does add that little something extra.

Banana Foster was originally created by Brennan’s, and it is hard to make this recipe any better. Butter, caramlized bananas, cinnamon, nutmeg, and different types of liquer make this a true delight.

¼ cup (½ stick) butter

1 cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup banana liqueur

4 bananas, cut in halflengthwise, then halved

¼ cup dark rum

4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.

Red Lobster made for one of their unlimited shrimp feasts, barbeque style shrimp. Barbeque style shrimp is a Cajun way of making shrimp, spicy and buttery this is an easy way to make shrimp in a unique style. Now when we say barbeque style shrimp, that doesn’t mean shrimp covered with barbeque sauce, rather, it is shrimp baked in the oven in a spicy sauce. Be sure to serve this with rice or plenty of bread so you can mop up the extra sauce.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the margarine in a 13 x 9 baking pan, and then place the pan in the oven. While the pan is in the oven wash and peel shrimp. Devien the shrimp. By the time you have finished prepping the shrimp, the margarine should be melted in the pan. In a small bowl mix together the spices and blend well. Place shrimp into the pan, and then sprinkle on the seasonings you have just blended together on the shrimp. Mix the shrimp, margarine, and spices until the shrimp is coated well with margarine and shrimp. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, remove shrimp, and check for doneness. The shrimp should be pink when done.

So, our recipe uses margarine, as most restaurants use margarine because it is less expensive than butter. If you really want to try to ramp up this recipe use butter instead of margarine. Be sure to serve the shrimp with fresh lemon wedges.

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Mix in the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cloves. Stir in the tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrot; continue to cook and stir about 5 minutes.2. Pour water into the saucepan, and season the mixture with salt. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.3. Remove the soup mixture from heat. In a food processor or blender, blend the soup and peanuts until almost smooth. Season with cayenne pepper. Return to the saucepan. Whisk in the peanut butter and cook until heated through. Serve warm topped with fresh coriander.

Ingredients

BaconCheese (grated)pastacheese spread

Method

Put pasta on to boil following instructions on packet. Cut bacon into pieces and fry until cooked too liking, remove from heat. Once pasta has boiled drain and put back into saucepan add two spoonfuls of cheese spread and put back over heat until melted, then add bacon, stir again. Put onto plate and finish off with grated cheese.

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Line a muffin tin with paper cases.

Mix together all of the dry ingredients for the muffins in one bowl, all of the wet ingredients in another. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, and gently fold together until just moistened (do not overmix).

Pour the mixture into the prepared cases, filling 2/3 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 mins, or until they test done in the centre. Cool the muffins on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, caramelise the bananas: Place the banana slices in a hot frying pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 the sugar, and turn the slices over. Once they're nicely browned, turn again and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Once browned, remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare the icing: In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla and sugar. Whip vigourously till you have a smooth and spreadable consistency.

To assemble the muffins, once cool remove a small portion of the domed tops with a paring knife and set aside. Nestle one slice of caramelised banana where you removed the top, then place the top back on. Ice with the cream cheese icing, then finally top with one slice of caramelised banana.

Ingredients

Favourite pastaCheese / you likeLettuceSpring onionTomatosPeppersMilk

Method

Alright then, put the cheese and milk into a small pan and heat until it melts into a creamy sauce, then take it out quickly and cover it.The take the veggies and cut them or dice them or however you like them, and make sure that you rinse them in water first!Put them in a bowl and cover them too, keep it cool!Boil your pasta, and add some salt to it too, when it is soft take it off the boil and rinse the water out. Put the pasta in the bottom of the serving dish and then cover it in the salad, then drizzle the cheese sauce over it, add worcester sauce if you like it, but only a few drops!!

Method

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1.Preheat the grill to a medium heat.2.Toast the bread and then spread with the butter.3.Sprinkle the slices generously with the sugar and cinnamon.4Place under grill until the sugar has melted and the butter starts to bubble5.Serve with a hot chocolate.